Worried about my cat after vaccination

Re: Worried about my cat after vaccination

Nicola Smith — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 13:44:48 GMT

My cat has had a reaction couple of times - off colour, pyrexic etc for 48 hours after vaccine and both times it happened was when she had pentofel so think well worth trying another brand - she had purevax this year and was fine.

Re: Worried about my cat after vaccination

Nikki Graef — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 22:19:58 GMT

My cat broke both his hind legs and was having daily multiple injections for over a week.

It wasnt until a month later that i noticed a lump in his neck and im sure it wasnt there before, i didnt think reactions could develop so long after the injections had been given but i had the vet check it and he thought it was an injection reaction but said to keep an eye on it and within a few weeks it was gone.

Im sure your cats lump will go away, in a few days/ weeks. Just 4 days after a vaccine seems a bit soon for any sort of tumour to have had time to develop

Re: Worried about my cat after vaccination

Phrin Vernon RVN — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 21:36:46 GMT

[quote user="Loopy Lass"]

I have also read that in America they never give sub cut injections on the scruff area anymore they give them around the forelimb or hindlimb, due to if sarcomas develop then radical surgery is easier in a limb location rather than the scruff area?

[/quote]

I've only seen one sarcoma, and it was in an elderly cat that was up to date with vaccs - think the vacc was the last inj she had though. I don't know how long it took to develop sorry. We use fevaxyn, but again I don't know if the cat in question had pentofel or chlam - I could check on monday for you?

Funny you should say that about inj sites - My tutor at college said she insists on her cats vacc's being given over the forelimb.... just in case!

Re: Worried about my cat after vaccination

Goldilocks E — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 14:09:19 GMT

It has been 4 days since her vaccination so I am hoping it will go down. The brand of vaccine used is Fevaxyn Pentofel and we are unfortunaely unable to get any other vaccines in because no one else uses them (I guess I could go to another vets for this though if need be).

Our vet is not much help if I told him he would just say yeah its fine and not really help much. She is back to her normal self now but keeping fingers crossed the lump disappears.

Re: Worried about my cat after vaccination

Nicola Smith — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 09:20:42 GMT

Only seen a sarcome once which as in an unvaccinated cat which we can only assume was from some ab injs it had. What type of vaccine did you use - the merial purevax one is meant to not cause as many reactions as no adjuvant so why not try that brand next time?

Re: Worried about my cat after vaccination

Fuzzyduck — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 00:12:33 GMT

If you only vaccinated her recently its very unlikely to be a sarcoma more likely just an injection reaction, my cats get them often after vaccinations and other injections too.

I would just monitor it for a while and it will probably go away by itself, if it doesnt then have it removed.

I have seen a sarcoma once, and have been in practice for 12 years, i really dont think its that common

Re: Worried about my cat after vaccination

BengalcatRVN — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 22:46:05 GMT

Have you done an FNA on the lump? Only being veterinary nurses we do tend to assume the worse. I think you are right to continue vaccinations, as she has missed the last couple of years I guess she's restarting the kitten course? If your cat is insured and gets cat flu, it normally wouldn't be covered without the proof of vaccination. Also, you are correct, what if you had no other choice but to put your cat into a cattery last min. Also, what if your cat gets ill and is in the vets, the risk of catching something is increased as she has no protection. Having said that, I had a reaction to the MMR jab (worst case of measles my doc had seen, 2nd time in my life, also thanks to rubbish person vaccinating I have a needle phob) which has put me off vaccinating myself against anything since.

My cat had an injection site reaction one year following his Tricat and FeLV jab, a small lump developed, and I monitored it for a while (2 weeks) before decideing to get it surgically removed, and sent for histopath. It wasn't a sarcoma, but purely an inflamm responce. It was on the muscle layer, and the vet removed the top bit "just in case" but everything was fine in the results.

After his reaction, he got sensitive about s/c injections and now has to be crush-caged (he's bengal, and has a needle phobia) however he's getting laurabolin s/c through the crush cage bars and had his last couple of boosters s/c in cage with no problems what so ever. He did have a few boosters IM, again, no problems. He is vaccinated against Flu, enteritis and FeLV and Rabies.

There is an interesting artical here which has a discusion about reactions.

My advice - before making any rash descisions, or blaming yourself/anyone else, get a vet to do an FNA, and check the lump, you might be worrying for nothing! As for the reactions, have you discused them with your vet? Or the reps from the company?

Hope you have found this of some help